MACON, Ill. (WAND) - Members of the union representing teachers in Meridian Community Unit School District #15 will be attending the school board meeting Monday night to voice their concerns as bargaining continues.
Last week, the union voted to authorize a strike.
Teachers at Meridian CUSD #15 have been working without a contract for the last few months. The Meridian Federation of Teachers started contract negotiations back in June.
Tuesday night, 92% of voting members of the Meridian Federation of Teachers (MFT, IFT Local 4487) agreed that the teachers’ bargaining team can call a strike if no significant progress is made at the table.
Member turnout for the vote was 90%.
“After five months of going back and forth, after letting our current contract expire in August, after an outpouring of support for our teachers from our community, it is inconceivable that this is still ongoing,” said MFT President Brian Pekovitch. “We have been patient. We understand that it’s hard to get everyone’s schedules to align. But we’ve only been able to meet with them six times in the past five months. Settling this contract should be a priority of the district and the school board, and dragging this out into another month is not acceptable. We should have been done by now.”
The union offered to bargain any day this week or next but has not received a confirmed date, they said.
The school board meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday at 728 S. Wall St. in Macon.
The district has not commented in the past about ongoing negotiations. WAND News did leave a message with the superintendent's office Monday requesting a comment.
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